Metering and registering device



J. WILLIS METERING AND REGISTERING DEVICE v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled July 21, 1917 k 77 I anwmtoz v Mme,

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J. WILLIS METERING AND REGISTERING DEVICE Original Filed July- 21, 19172 Sheets-Sfieet 2 l H F Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES igiz gi, 1,523,796

PATENT OF JOHN WILLIS, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO MARVIN SMITHEY, OF LAWRENCE-VILLE, VIRGINIA.

v11H]CLIEIRINGr AND REGISTERING DEVICE.

Application filed July 21, 1917, Serial No. 182,071.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN VVrLLrs, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inMetering and Registering Devices, and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to metering and registering apparatus for use withautomobiles, employing a large number of odometers or counterswhichregister mileage for making and preserving an accurate account of themileage of each of the tires as well as the total and trip mileage, andfor keeping track on a mileage basis of other matters connected with theoperation of the car. It is essential to commercial success that such aninstrument be absolutely accurate in its operations, be of a minimumnumber of parts to enable economical manufacture, which is affected bythe number of parts, because of their cost and also by the time andlabor required for their assemblage, be as compact or reduced within assimple a compass as possible, because of the limited space available onthe car for such a mechanism, and be capable of easy and simplemanipulation in making use of it. In making my invention, I have had allthese considerations in mind, and it will be found that the mechanism'in which I embodied my invention ful fills all the conditionsjust setforth.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is av face or front view of ametering and registering mechanism embodying my invention, a portion ofthe casing being shown broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the instrument looking up from the bottom.

Fig. 3 is an end View, the casing being omitted, and parts being shownin sections.

Briefly described, the instrument shown in the drawings as embodying myinvention comprises a large number of odometers or registers and acommon operating shaft which is connected with and receives motion fromone of the carrying wheelsof the car, and the collection of odometersbeing movably mounted, so that in succession they may be brought intoposition for reading their registrations. Proceeding now with adescription in detail of the construction and arrangement of partsappearing .in the an- Renewed January 18, 1924.

nexed drawings, it will be found that the supporting frame work consistsof the front and back disk-form plates 10, which are spaced apart byseveral rods or posts 11 to the opposite ends of which said plates arerigidly secured as by means of headed screws 12. On the inner side ofthe back plate 10 are bearings 13 (preferably ball bearing) for thevertically arranged driving shaft 1-1 whose lower end is connected tothe usual flexible shaft (not shown) by which driving connection is madewith one of the wheels of the car. Said driving shaft 14 is thus located at the back of the instrument. On the shaft 14 is a worm 15 whichmeshes with a Worm wheel 16 of large diameter mounted at mid-length upona shaft 17 that is journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 18 uponarms or posts 19, that are secured at one end to the back frame plate10, the shaft 17 thus extending at right angles to the direction of thedriving shaft 14.

The odometers or registers 20 are arranged in two circular series orgroups on each side of the worm wheel, each series being carried by theflanges of a spool that consists of a sleeve 21 mounted on the shaft 17and a pair of disks 22 that constitute the spool flanges and which arespaced apart a distance equal to the length of the odometers, and eachodometer being mounted on a spindle 23 which is supported in aliningholes in the flanges or disks 22. The drawings illustrate eachgroup ofodometers as consisting of four but the number may be varied and I,therefore, do not limit myself to any particular number. The arrangementof the odometers in two groups or series. and each series beingindependent of the other as far as rotating it to bring any one odometerat reading position, enables a large number of odometers to be employedwithout sacrific ing compactness of theinstrument. In the face plate, 10there is a single sight opening 25 for each group of odometers and forrotating'each group to bring the odometers thereof in successionopposite their sight opening, the outer spool flange or disk 22 is largeenough in diameter so that a portion of it will protrude through a slotin the outer frame plate 10 and a coinciding slot in the dial, So thatthe thumb or fingers can be applied to the periphery of such protrudingportion of said disk for rotating the latter. Its periphery is knurledto prevent slipping of the vfingers. Each circular. group or. series ofodometers is yieldingly latched against accidental rotation by a pawlwhich consists of a-ball Qfiadapted to engage any one of a seriesofslight sphericaldepressions .27 in the side of the knurled disk 22, saidpawl being pressed yieldingly against such side 0t said disk 22 by acoiled spring 28, which together with the ball is mounted iirahloch 29,car

ried by the post 19. p

1 Upon the outer end of each Odometerspindle 2-3 is a wheel having inits periphery a series or notches 31 with its periphery be tweenadjacent notches concavely curved to conform to and fit the curvaturethe periphery of a wheel or disk 32Qkeyed to the shaft 17 and havingpreferably a single tooth 33"which by the revolution of the wheel 32- isbrought into engagement with the notches 31 of the wheel '30 as thewheel 32'revolves. the. ivheels 30 and notches 31 being the well-knownGeneva stop gearing. Thus, the

' driving shaft is calledupon toactuate but ]operationwith-atoothed-wheel on a shaft 36 mounted in hearings in the outer frame 1atel0, and in the post'lE) and" which has on its outer end a turning head37 for revolving the wheel 35 and constituting a zero re settin device.The pinions 34 of each odometer. maybe broughtin succession intoengagement With "the: wheel 35, and the wheels and' 32 being disconnected,theodometer may be reset to-zero. This disengagement of theodometer iorzeroresetting and the meshing of the wheet 35 with a":pinion' 34tare both produce'd by the endwise niovement of the shaft36'by pulling on the knoh 37 The shaft 36has 'a tapering portion whichbears against the end ofithe'. pin

'ion shaft and moves "the sam'e endwise I against thepressure of aspring 220 which on "the reverse endwise movement of the shaft-"36-restores the pinion and associated parts for again driving the odometer.

The odometers' shown "need not be "de-' scribed in detail,] f or their"construction is a well-known one of the type 1 consisting of a seriesofnumerals-bearing rings. mounted side by side and'with internal transfermechanism b means'oiwhich. ate-ach rev "olution ofa'ring of lowerdenomination the adjacent ring of higher denomination *l te 'srrnountedside by side. a-shaftr concentric 'with saidgroups. a rotatable supportfor each group mounted'on the shaft,' a "wheel will be'moved throughone-tenth ofa; revolution; i p 7 Each circular'series or group of odometersQQ is snrronnded by a shell 38 which jacent each odometer has a slot39 for re v aling the row of numerals along the odometer, and adjacenteach slot is inscribed or printed data for identifyingor associatingeach odometer with a particular the or other part or other operation orother matter inconnection with the automobile which it is desired tokeep track oi.

It will be evident that 'by my invention,-

an instrument is provided which has great capacity in respect tothenumber ofodome ters employedfyet. it is simple of construction, andcompact and requires but a' minimumoi power to operate the odometers,

with a minimum of strain upon the moving parts, and it is convenient andeasy ofmanip-ulat-ion as is required to enable the reading ofthe'registrations of the odometers.

If desired, one or more of the odometers of each group, or eithergroup,may be conside by side, independently movable suports for the two rous'of re lsters a casing having a separate display point for theregisters of each group to which the registers in succession maybebroughtby the movement of 'the support for such "group and a I singledriving mechanism for the registers of both groups.

2. Ari-instrument of the class, described, comprising two groups ofregisters. mounted side by side. independently;movable supports for thegroups of registers, a face plate over the registers having a. sightopening for each group opposite to which the registers are. brought 'insuccession by. the movement of their support, .asingle driving shaft"and driving connection" between said "shaft and the registers ofbothgr'oups.

3. An instrument of the (:Iassdescribed comprising two circular groupsof registers mounted side by side and independently movable, rotatablesupports for the groups of registers a "face plate over the registershaving a sight opening for each gl'OHPOPPO- site to which the registersare brought n succession byrthe movement of their support, afsin'gledriving shaft, and driving conne tion' b'etween said shaft andthe-registers o'f'b oth groups 4e.-' An' instrument of the class described,comprising two-circular groups of reg-is secured to the shaft betweenthe two groups,

mea n s for revolving said 1' wheel; and a" driving connection betweensaid shaft and the registers of each group.

5. An instrument of the class described, comprising two circular groupsof registers mounted side by side, a shaft concentric with said groups,a rotatable spool-form support for each group mounted on the shaft, aWheel secured to the shaft between the two groups, means for revolvingsaid Wheel. and a driving connection between said shaft and theodometers of each group.

6. An instrument of the class described. the combination of a framecomposed of front and back plates and spacing posts. a driving shaftmounted in bearings on the back plate, two circular groups of registerssituated between said plates, a driven shat; passing concentricallythrough the groups of registers, a rotatable spoolform support for eachof said groups of registers, a wheel on said driven shaft, situatedbetween said two groups of registers, and geared to said driving shaft,a driving connection between said driven shaft and the registers, and aface plate having a sight opening for each group of registers, oppositeWhich the registers of each group are brought in succession by therotation of said spool-form support.

In testimon that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN WILLIS.

